Van de Putte announces candidacy for lieutenant governor

ENRIQUE RANGEL

Saturday

Nov 23, 2013 at 7:33 PM

SAN ANTONIO - She is in.

Braving the frigid Saturday morning weather, hundreds of supporters of state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte packed a college gym and were treated to a mariachi concert and to a widely anticipated political announcement: The San Antonio lawmaker is running for lieutenant governor, joining the Democratic ticket headed by her Texas Senate colleague Wendy Davis.

"Haven't you been paying attention to the Republican primary race for lieutenant governor?" Van de Putte asked the partisan crowd. "It gets wackier every day.

"They're all trying to out-extremist one another," Van de Putte said in reference to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and his three challengers. "That's why I announce that I'll ask the people of Texas to hire me to be your next lieutenant governor."

Van de Putte's announcement received statewide press coverage because pundits and even Republicans agree it is the first time in 12 years the Democratic Party of Texas has two candidates who energize its base and also have the potential to appeal to three key constituencies - independent voters, women and Hispanics.

If elected, Van de Putte would be the first Hispanic and the first female lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor is widely considered the most powerful office in Texas because, as the presiding officer of the Texas Senate, the officeholder controls the legislative agenda.

A sixth-generation Texan, the 58-year-old Van de Putte reminded her audience - in English and Spanish - she and her husband Pete still live in the barrio (the neighborhood) where she grew up and raised her six children.

In the Republican camp, Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Todd Staples are taking on Dewhurst in the March 4 Republican primary. Patterson and Staple both served in the Senate as well.

Although Van de Putte didn't go into detail about her priorities as lieutenant governor, she said that while the Republican candidates have bickered amongst themselves, funding for neighborhood public schools has been cut by billions of dollars.

"Class sizes have swelled, and too often we're losing our best teachers," she said. "Texas is investing less in our schoolchildren than almost any other state."

And she reminded her audience she and Davis are a team.

"As lieutenant governor, I'll make sure women's voices will truly be heard in shaping these decisions," she said in reference to a bill guaranteeing women would make the same pay as men doing the same job. Davis pushed the legislation in this year's session, but Gov. Rick Perry vetoed it.

"When I am lieutenant governor I'll fight to pass that bill again, so that it can be signed into law by Gov. Wendy Davis," Van de Putte said as her audience cheered.

Davis welcomed Van de Putte's announcement with the same enthusiasm.

"Sen. Van de Putte's dedication representing the interests of all Texans makes her an outstanding choice for lieutenant governor," Davis said in a statement. "She has delivered for our veterans and small businesses, and like many Texans, I am excited about her announcement."

The Republican candidates for lieutenant governor are ready for Van de Putte, too.

"It'll be a very interesting campaign to compare her pretty liberal views on growing the state of Texas and my views, which are more conservative and in the mainstream in the state of Texas," Dewhurst said last week after telling reporters he expects to win his party's primary without a runoff.

Patrick, Patterson and Staples blame him for Davis' quick rise to political stardom. On June 25, Davis filibustered a restrictive abortion bill for 11 hours. The Republican-dominated Legislature passed it three weeks later anyway.

Staples used Van de Putte's announcement to take on the Davis-Van de Putte ticket - and Dewhurst, too.

"Sen. Van de Putte's announcement is another reminder that conservatives are in desperate need of new leadership," Staples said in a statement. "Energized Texas Democrats are the result of the failed leadership of David Dewhurst.

"By allowing Democrats to take over the Senate, Dewhurst made a national hero out of Wendy Davis," Staples said.

Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said he is not worried about attacks from Dewhurst, Staples, Patterson and Staples.

"We hope Staples is their nominee" because he would be the easiest to beat, Hinojosa said. "He represents the extremely extreme right wing of the Republican party."

The same goes for Dewhurst, Patrick and Patterson, Hinojosa said.

"All they represent is the extreme wing of the Republican Party, the tea party voters and that's it," Hinojosa said. "Leticia Van de Putte represents mainstream Texas, she represents middle class Texas families … people can relate to that."

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